Polystyrene is well known for its use as isolation panel. Because of both its friability and lightness, polystyrene is also used to create decorative objects.
Drawbacks of the use of polystyrene to create objects include its heavy environmental footprint, the fact that it is carcinogenic, its irritability to the skin and eyes, the lack of durability of the resulting object, etc.
The technique of papier mache is also well-known to create decorative and artistic objects. While it does not share the negative environmental characteristics and detrimental health issues of the polystyrene, it is far from being resilient and durable enough to be considered in manufacturing long-lasting artistic, ornamental or functional objects.
Cork is also used to create decorative, artistic and functional objects. A drawback of cork is its increasing scarcity which causes its price to rise. In additional, cork is not malleable, which limits its applications.
There is therefore a need for a material that is ecological, durable, malleable and lightweight.